CEL, RCP or RCPv: which model to choose and how much is a local kWh worth?

The short answer

A local electricity community, an own consumption group or a virtual group pursue a common idea: to use part of the solar electricity near the place of production. The midday kWh that would have been injected can be consumed by a neighbor, a home, a heat pump or a common area. But the value of this kWh depends on the network, the measurement, the contracts and the operating costs.

The models are not identical. An RCP brings together consumers and producers within a defined perimeter, with a logic of own consumption. An RCPv uses a virtual organization when the physical structure and network allow it. A CEL, introduced in the new framework mentioned by Swissolar for 2026, allows a broader form of local sharing according to the applicable conditions. Names and details should be confirmed with the DSO and the project.

The local price is not simply “national price minus network”. You need to know the quantity of solar available, the measurement costs, the share of the network maintained, taxes, management, losses, billing, unpaid bills and the grid supply tariff when the community does not produce enough. An attractive price can become bad if the majority of kWh are purchased from the network in winter or if the administration is underestimated.

Start with a map of buildings and meters, then with consumption curves. Don't sign the model until you know who invests, who charges, who bears the risk, and how a participant exits. The community is an energy organization as much as a solar installation.

Why local sharing becomes relevant

Solar production is often highest around midday, while individual homes consume more in the morning and evening. In a building or a neighborhood, the profiles complement each other. A bakery, a heat pump, a laundry room, an office and homes can consume at different times. Sharing can therefore use a larger share of production without installing a large battery.

It can also give visibility to participants. The producer knows that part of the current is used nearby, the consumer can obtain a local offer and the building can finance a common installation. This value should not be overestimated: local electricity remains subject to measurement and network rules, and a participant may change their behavior.

The model is particularly interesting for a PPE which already provides a solar roof, a heat pump and EV charging stations. Common areas create a stable load. A single-family home surrounded by buildings that do not share the network or meters may have fewer options.

Local sharing is not a promise of autonomy. Participants still buy electricity when the sun does not produce enough. The DSO remains necessary, the cables remain maintained and the supplier and network contracts do not disappear. The model reduces or reorganizes certain flows; it does not eliminate winter.

The three models in simple terms

RCP: collective self-consumption

An RCP allows several users to consume together production located within a defined area. We need production, participants, compatible metering and a responsible organization. The owner or entity of the grouping can manage internal invoicing according to the rules and the contract.

The RCP is often suitable for a building or a group of nearby buildings. Investment, meters, contracts and cost allocation must be decided before commissioning. A participant must understand what he pays to the group and what he still pays to the DSO.

RCPv: virtual grouping

RCPv uses grouping possibilities at the measurement or network level without making it appear that buildings are connected by a direct private cable. The result may be more flexible, but the meter and rate logic is more difficult to explain. The DSO must confirm eligibility and scope.

Do not present RCPv as a way to bypass the network. Outstanding usage costs must be identified. A virtual model can reduce some elements, but it doesn't make every kWh cost-free.

CEL: local electricity community

The CEL is part of the new Swiss framework for local electricity sharing presented by Swissolar. It can open a perimeter and participants different from a classic RCP, subject to the network conditions and the rules applicable from 2026. The concrete operation must be confirmed by the DSO, in particular for measurement, invoicing, price and participation.

For a buyer, the model name is less important than the drawing and the contract. Ask what scope is accepted, how much can be shared, what network charges remain and who assumes administrative obligations.

How to calculate the price of a local kWh

The local price must have a formula. On the production side, take into account the cost of installation, financing, maintenance, insurance, measurement, losses and desired remuneration. On the consumer side, compare the local price to the grid supply tariff actually paid when the community does not cover the need. In between, add network, taxes, metering services, administration and reserves.

A price can be set at a single rate, at a percentage of the DSO rate, at a formula linked to the injection or at a combination. The formula must specify the period, the indexed components, the treatment of hours without production and the rule when the rate changes. A fixed price that is too low may poorly finance the installation; a high price can discourage participants.

Suppose a local participant purchases 3 000 kWh per year. It won't necessarily get 3 000 kWh of solar. Part will be available at midday, another in the evening, and winter will require external purchase. The local price should be applied to the kWh actually allocated, not to an optimistic volume. Losses and measurement must appear.

For the producer, the local kWh has a higher value than the injection only if the local net price exceeds the value of the export after costs and if the payment is reliable. For the consumer, it is interesting if the local price remains lower than the network alternative while offering clear conditions. The two interests must be compatible.

Measurement: the heart of the model

A community cannot correctly distribute kWh that it does not measure. The diagram must show production meter, participant meters, common areas, battery, grid connection and exchange point. A Smart Meter with data per fifteen minutes may be necessary or useful. ElCom reiterates that smart metering and deployment schedule are separate topics from pricing.

Ask which value is used for billing: instantaneous production, fifteen minute interval, standard profile or calculation after the fact. An inverter graph does not necessarily replace the official DSO reading. Time losses and gaps must be defined.

Housing data can reveal hours of absence. The community must limit access to what is necessary and explain who keeps the history. A homeowner should be able to receive their statements and dispute a bill. Access must survive the change of manager or application.

Who does what?

The owner of the production can be the PPE, an investor, a construction company or a third party. The manager can be the same entity or a service provider. The DSO provides the network and its rules. The grid electricity supplier delivers electricity when local production is lacking. The consumer pays according to an invoice which must separate local, network, taxes and other services.

Write down the responsibilities: maintenance of panels, battery, meters, software, reminder of unpaid debts, change of participant, disaster, breakdown and relationship with the DSO. If a person leaves the community, who takes over their share of investment? If the roof leaks, who is called? If the price of electricity changes, who adapts the formula?

In a PPE, the decision to create the model must respect the regulations and the distribution of skills. A tenant must know if the lease or electricity supply is changed. A neighbor cannot be put on a list without a clear contract. Local enthusiasm does not replace governance.

The producer participant and the consumer participant

The producer wants to add value to his roof, cover costs and risks and maintain an exit solution. The consumer wants a predictable price, quality of supply and the freedom to compare. The same contract must make these different interests visible.

The producer must not bill neighbors for kWh that the community did not actually receive. The consumer should not be forced to pay for insufficient local production on top of the grid supply tariff. The gap and balance conditions must be in writing.

A common battery can modify sharing, but it adds degradation, management, priority rules and fire liability. Decide whether it is used for self-consumption, backup power, export limitation or several purposes. Don't give all the benefit to two different uses in the simulation.

When the model is not suitable

A small roof with few participants may not cover metering and management costs. A community with few occupants can produce a lot of surplus despite having several housing units. A model whose price depends on high consumption in the neighborhood can become fragile if a business closes or if a tenant installs a battery.

An installation in the design phase with meters that are difficult to separate can require extensive work. Costs and times must be compared with a simple injection. The objective is not to create the most sophisticated model, but the best ratio between local kWh, effort and risk.

Local sharing is not an excuse to ignore the roof, the inverter or the connection. Poorly sized production results in fewer kWh to share. A limited connection can cap the value of the surplus. The economic model must start from the capacity actually accepted.

Cautious numerical scenario

Imagine a PPE with 10 000 kWh of annual solar production and 14 000 kWh of consumption of housing and common areas. Much of the 10 000 kWh does not arrive at the same time as demand. Let's assume that 5 000 kWh are consumed directly, 2 000 kWh shared in available intervals and 3 000 kWh injected or stored. It is just a calculation framework.

The local price should be applied to the 2 000 kWh actually allocated, not the 10 000 kWh. For the remaining 3 000 kWh, compare injection, battery and other use. On the consumer side, count the kWh supplied by the network in winter and the grid supply tariff. On the PPE side, add metering, management, maintenance, insurance and reserve.

If the model promises total savings on the 14 000 kWh of consumption, it is probably too generous. The kWh without sun remains purchased. The result must present producer value, consumer invoice and organization costs separately.

Questions to ask before signing

A reliable response produces a drawing, sample invoice and exit contract. A brochure alone is not enough.

Launch checklist

Start with the register of buildings, meters, owners, tenants and common charges. Ask the DSO about the feasibility and conditions. Gather the production and consumption curves, then simulate a low, middle, and high scenario.

Then write a pricing formula with all the components. Have the contract read by an independent person when several owners or tenants are involved. Define insurance, maintenance, data, unpaid bills, disputes, entry, exit and end of the model.

Before launching, test billing on a fictitious month. The document must show local production, local consumption, external energy, network, measurement, taxes and balance. If no participant can verify their invoice, the template is not ready.

Operation after launch

A community must remain managed after go-live. Compare each month production, local consumption, export, external purchase and losses. A low sharing rate can come from a normal seasonal problem, but also from a misconfigured meter, delayed data or a forgotten common load. The manager must explain the difference and maintain the versions of the statements.

Billing must process corrections. A meter can be estimated, replaced or read late. The contract must state how a correction is distributed, how long a participant can contest, and who keeps the documents. A local price that is easy to understand is more important than a theoretical per-kWh price that cannot be controlled.

Maintenance must be budgeted separately: possible cleaning, inverter, battery, meters, communications, insurance and administration. A community may decide to keep a reserve for a replacement. This reserve must not be hidden in the price of kWh without explanation.

When the DSO price changes, test the formula before modifying it. A percentage-based local price may change automatically, while a fixed price may require a decision by participants. In either case, notify consumers before the next billing period.

A participant who moves should not be treated as unpaid. Plan an exit date, a final statement, invoice closing and the transfer of any participation in the investment. The new participant must receive the contract, pricing formula and data rules before consuming.

The governance of a PPE

In a PPE, the community must have a budget, recorded decisions and a person authorized to sign with the DSO. Landlords need to know their part of the installation and tenants need to know who provides the electricity. The breakdown of roof, meter and maintenance costs cannot remain in a commercial presentation.

Also specify the decision to make for a battery or a new EV charging station. An extension may change the power, insurance and local price. If the PPE changes administrator, the technical file and access to data must be transferred with the other building documents.

Good governance allows the model to be maintained even when people change. It prevents dependence on a single owner for passwords, contracts and the billing formula.

Before any expansion, compare the local yield obtained with the cost of the new infrastructure. Another meter or battery is only worth it if the model can use them sustainably.

Governance in a PPE

A PPE must provide for a budget, minutes and a person authorized to act with the DSO, the installer and the participants. Owners must be aware of the ownership of the roof, meters and any battery. Tenants must receive a clear document on price, duration, exit and grid supply. A commercial presentation does not replace the rules.

Specify who decides on a new EV charging station, battery or price change. These changes may modify power, insurance, measurement and contracts. When the manager changes, the file, access and data must be transferred. A single owner should not be the only person who knows the billing formula.

Provide a reserve for inverter, meters, communication and battery, indicating its amount and use. A hidden reserve in the price of the kWh makes the bill difficult to understand.

Make the model work after launch

A community must compare production, local consumption, export, external purchase and losses every month. A low local share in winter may be normal; an unexplained fall in summer can signal a faulty meter, data or control. The manager must keep the records and explain the difference.

Billing must include estimation, meter replacement, correction, complaint and unpaid invoices. A simple invoice is better than a precise formula that no one can verify. Test a fictitious month with solar production, local consumption, external energy, network, measurement, taxes, administration and balance.

When the DSO rate changes, apply the formula before the next bill and inform participants. A fixed price may require a decision; a percentage of the price can change automatically. In both cases, keep the old and new versions of the calculation.

A participant who moves receives a final statement and an exit invoice. A new participant receives contract, price formula, data conditions and backup tariff before consuming. This procedure is as important as roof production.

The value of sustainable governance

The community must anticipate that the manager, software provider or owner changes. Documents, data and access must be able to be transferred. A reserve fund for inverter, meters, communication and battery must be presented separately in the budget.

If a new charger or battery is added, the model must be recalculated. The same kWh cannot be counted as local consumption, storage and avoided export at the same time. This discipline protects the producer and the consumer.

Conclusion

CEL, RCP and RCPv can give more value to a local solar kWh, but they also change the governance of the building. The right choice depends on the network, the meters, the participants, the load curve and the ability to manage the contract for several years.

Don't start with an advertised price. Start with the flows, responsibilities and exit scenario. A local kWh is worth what the producer receives, what the consumer saves and what the model can measure and administer without surprises.